My latest amp on the way -- NOT class D, NOT a clone, not even class A/B

[Feanor]

Coming from Amazon.ca a pair of Topping B100 monoblocks. They are technically class B; they're small, relatively cheap, and low power vs. most serious s/s amps today. I'll confess I bought the B100 versus Topping's B200 because less than half the price -- about the same price as the TransAudio D5 amp I got recently.

There are plenty of reviews online for this amp. Most are subjective and, unfortunately, many compare it only with small, cheap class D amps. A notable review, however is available at ASR, (see HERE), which provides that site's usual objective measurements

As for the measurements, they are stunning -- virtually no distortion at any frequency or power level right up to maximum output. The amp has no speaker load dependence and a bandwidth extending to >100 kHz.

My only reservation is that with my 8 ohm speakers, power is limited to 50 wpc. Given I listen at fairly low levels, I suspect/hope the power will be sufficient. If I don't have enough power I can sent it back -- hurray, Amazon Prime.

I will audition these amps first in medium gain mode with my Schiit Kara F in Passive mode, driven in turn by my Topping D90 DAC via XLR. Afterward I try it driven by my recent Zero Zone SLP-90 tube amp, and eventually perhaps by my Sonic Frontiers Line 1 SE+. Frankly I don't expect it to sound much different than my Purifi amp, but heck, it's an experiment. I expect it will sound quite different from the aforementioned Transaudio D5.

 

[Shadowfax]

I recently got a Fosi V3 for my office setup. Pretty decent little amp for $80

 

[RepublicOfTexas69]

Enjoy, it will be short lived.

 

[Mr Peabody]

I wonder what they did to overcome crosstalk and get such good measurements.

 

[Hear Here]

I wonder what they did to overcome crosstalk and get such good measurements.

Excellent measurements don't equate to excellent sound.

Expressing this fact on ASR leads to explosions of protest and likely banning from that forum!

The huge weight they give to measurements and nil to sound quality, leads me to believe that inmates there are actrually deaf, so the lines on their PC screens give them the satisfaction that the rest of us get by simply sitting down and listening to good music played through good kit.

 

[Feanor]

Excellent measurements don't equate to excellent sound.

Expressing this fact on ASR leads to explosions of protest and likely banning from that forum!

The huge weight they give to measurements and nil to sound quality, leads me to believe that inmates there are actrually deaf, so the lines on their PC screens give them the satisfaction that the rest of us get by simply sitting down and listening to good music played through good kit.

Can't say I agree. On the contrary I believe excellent measurements, (I'm no talking about only THD/SINAD), yield highly predictable sound.

There are quite a few subjective reviews of Topping B100 out there online. They are remarkable consistent in finding the B100 exceptional in its detail, clarity, and transparency. Those are subjective findings but are predictable given objective measurements as seen in the ASR review.

It can't be said too many times. People are entitled to like distortion Distortion comes in varieties and one is entitled to like whichever type one pleases; although lots of 2nd order harmonic distortion is a favorite.

My logic is this: ultra-low distortion is cheap these days. But you don't have to like that sort of sound. Where this hobby becomes expensive is when one is intent on finding components that deliver one's favorite type of distortion. Sorry if you can't wrap you head around this.

 

[RepublicOfTexas69]

Can't say I agree. On the contrary I believe excellent measurements, (I'm no talking about only THD/SINAD), yield highly predictable sound.

There are quite a few subjective reviews of Topping B100 out there online. They are remarkable consistent in finding the B100 exceptional in its detail, clarity, and transparency. Those are subjective findings but are predictable given objective measurements as seen in the ASR review.

It can't be said too many times. People are entitled to like distortion Distortion comes in varieties and one is entitled to like whichever type one pleases; although lots of 2nd order harmonic distortion is a favorite.

My logic is this: ultra-low distortion is cheap these days. But you don't have to like that sort of sound. Where this hobby becomes expensive is when one is intent on finding components that deliver one's favorite type of distortion. Sorry if you can't wrap you head around this.

Oh boy not this crap again...

 

[Michaels HiFi]

Oh boy not this crap again...

He posts the same stuff over and over here instead of ASR as he is a lonely, aggrieved, China-loving Canadien desperate for attention and to fulfill stated ASR mission of showing people who use their ears how wrong they are.

If he spent this time over at ASR he would just be another one of "them" and wouldn't get the attention he does here.

 

[Mechnutt]

Enjoy, it will short lived.

Agree. If you look at reviews on these budget ChiFi gear on amazon, a lot die within the first 6 to 12 months. These things are so compact and can put out high power but the caps are so small and are asked to do too much and they do not last long. Thats what my EE friend says who repairs audio gear.

 

[W9TR]

Feanor - I think you are brave man buying this stuff ‘unheard’. I hope you can return it if you do not like it. You’ve got some good stuff to compare it to.

My only experience with Topping is a D50 DAC that measured perfectly and sounded terrible. Lots of wonderful reviews from people who apparently don’t know what good sounds like. It’s in my junk drawer now. I won’t even given it away because I won’t foist bad sound on a friend. Turned me off to the brand forever. I wish you well, keep at it!

 

[Hear Here]

Can't say I agree. On the contrary I believe excellent measurements, (I'm no talking about only THD/SINAD), yield highly predictable sound.

A case in point to support my view that measurements are not the best indication of sound quality - the Benchmark AHB2 amplifier. I bought one of these exceptionally good-measuring amps on the rave recommendation of a fellow Avantgarde speaker owner. It was soon after this amp was introduced and I had to buy it from a dealer in Scotland without having heard it. I was swayed by this recommendation - big mistake!

After living with it for 3 or 4 weeks, hoping I'd l learn to love it after my earlier SETs. I just couldn't understand why my friend liked it so much. It later transpired that he was obsessed by noise - or the lack of it - and the Benchmark is as quiet as any amp. For me it was drearily dull to the extent I was listening more to Muzak rather than music, and I was always turning down the volume of music that would normally tempt me to turn it up!

Anyway, as no doubt you've heard if you've read my earlier posts, this disappointment led me into a multi-home-demo session of 10 other solid state amps and I must say I was surprised at how much difference there was in these £3-8K examples. Some Class A, some AB and some D. The Benchmark wasn't the worst, but it was the second least exciting amp to listen to, after a pretty basic Quad Platinum. Surprisingly a Sugden Masterclass amp (FPA-4, now discontinued) also seriously disappointed, despite my expectation that a Class A would be the best choice to replace SETs.

If I am to put any faith in reviews, it would be with a Stereophile one (or maybe HFN) written by a professional reviewer. This will include measurements, but I put far greater faith in a well-written description of its sound. They normally test speakers in two locations to minimise room effects. In fact, I bought my first Avantgarde speakers almost solely on Robert Deutsch's fantastic (and accurate) description of the Uno in a 2000 edition- https://www.stereophile.com/content/avantgarde-acoustic-uno-series-two-loudspeaker . It was such a breath of fresh air and with a huge excitement factor after the ATC speakers I had bought 6 months earlier after having hankered after a pair of Active 50s for some years. Again, a good measuring professional speaker that didn't deliver any goosebump inducing effect that one experiences at a good live performance.

Sorry Benchmark and ATC (pro-range) users, but you really should listen to other great equipment. I bet you didn't choose these after week-long home demos of multiple alternatives.

 

[Kramer64]

A case in point to support my view that measurements are not the best indication of sound quality - the Benchmark AHB2 amplifier. I bought one of these exceptionally good-measuring amps on the rave recommendation of a fellow Avantgarde speaker owner. It was soon after this amp was introduced and I had to buy it from a dealer in Scotland without having heard it. I was swayed by this recommendation - big mistake!

After living with it for 3 or 4 weeks, hoping I'd l learn to love it after my earlier SETs. I just couldn't understand why my friend liked it so much. It later transpired that he was obsessed by noise - or the lack of it - and the Benchmark is as quiet as any amp. For me it was drearily dull to the extent I was listening more to Muzak rather than music, and I was always turning down the volume of music that would normally tempt me to turn it up!

Anyway, as no doubt you've heard if you've read my earlier posts, this disappointment led me into a multi-home-demo session of 10 other solid state amps and I must say I was surprised at how much difference there was in these £3-8K examples. Some Class A, some AB and some D. The Benchmark wasn't the worst, but it was the second least exciting amp to listen to, after a pretty basic Quad Platinum. Surprisingly a Sugden Masterclass amp (FPA-4, now discontinued) also seriously disappointed, despite my expectation that a Class A would be the best choice to replace SETs.

If I am to put any faith in reviews, it would be with a Stereophile one (or maybe HFN) written by a professional reviewer. This will include measurements, but I put far greater faith in a well-written description of its sound. They normally test speakers in two locations to minimise room effects. In fact, I bought my first Avantgarde speakers almost solely on Robert Deutsch's fantastic (and accurate) description of the Uno in a 2000 edition- https://www.stereophile.com/content/avantgarde-acoustic-uno-series-two-loudspeaker . It was such a breath of fresh air and with a huge excitement factor after the ATC speakers I had bought 6 months earlier after having hankered after a pair of Active 50s for some years. Again, a good measuring professional speaker that didn't deliver any goosebump inducing effect that one experiences at a good live performance.

Sorry Benchmark and ATC (pro-range) users, but you really should listen to other great equipment. I bet you didn't choose these after week-long home demos of multiple alternatives.

Benchmark is not my cup of tea either, although I think Benchmark products are extremely well-engineered and built for a fair price. Maybe it does make the point that most of us like some character added to the music-Benchmark is dead quiet and as close to completely transparent as I have heard. Like you, I just can't stay with it for very long. Obviously, that's the sound some people want-each to their own.

The reviews I see are best at delivering information about products-I don't trust many subjective opinions. There are a few exceptions-I think Tom Martin has interesting insights and I like the Soundstage publications. YouTube is such a swamp-you have no way to know who is getting greased up by who-but some of the content provides useful information, just not much in the way of subjective opinion I would trust. What You Tube lacks in quality it makes up for in volume-seems there are new YouTube "experts" every day.